ABSTRACT
The study lasted from April to June, 2017. The design was a cross-sectional epidemiological investigation involving a sample population of 184 children, from primary 1-5 at the camp for Internally Displaced Persons. The general objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum (the causative for most cases of malaria in Nigeria), Schistosomahaematobium (the causative of urinary schistosomiasis) and other intestinal parasitic infections. A total of 184 samples (blood, urine and faeces) were examined. Faecal and urine samples were examined using direct wet-mount technique. Detection and identification were by direct microscopy. Questionnaires were given to the children to know their different states and source of water used to carry out domestic activities. The overall prevalence of parasitic infections among the children at the camp was 38.91%. The prevalence of parasitic infections for males was 37.40%, while the prevalence was 40.71% for females. The parasites that were identified were divided into Protozoan parasites and Helminth parasites. The prevalence of protozoan parasites was 48.91%. There was no significant association between protozoan infections and the population studied (P=0.38). The protozoan parasites, Plasmodium falciparum,Entamoebahistolytica, Entamoeba coli, Isospora belli and Giardia lambia had prevalence of 67.93%, 67.93% 47.28%, 1.63% and 59.78% respectively. Similarly, the prevalence of helminth infection was 28.91%. There was no significant association between helmith infections and the population studied (P=0.54) The helminth species, Schistosomahaematobium, Ascarislumbricoides, Trichuristrichiura, the hookworms and Strongyloidesstercoralis had prevalence of 28.80%, 34.24%, 17.93%, 32.07% and 31.52% respectively. There was significant association between parasitic infections and age (P=0.01) but there was no significant association between parasitic infections and sex (P=0.24). There was no significant association between nutritional status and parasitic infections for the age group 6-9 years (P=0.42) and the age group 10-15 years (P=0.65). Co-infection with Plasmodium falciparum, Schistosomahaematobium and intestinal parasites had a prevalence of 21.74%, co-infection with Plasmodium falciparum and intestinal parasites had a prevalence of 47.28%, co-infection with Schistosomahaematobium and intestinal parasites had a prevalence of 10.33% while co-infection with more than one intestinal parasite had a prevalence of 20.65%. There was no significant association between multi-parasitism and sex (P=0.51) and between the age groups 6-10 years and 11-15 years (P=0.52 and P=0.45). Local health sector and other bodies should collaborate with the school health program for delivering health education to increase the knowledge, attitude and practice of school children as to how transmission of parasitic infections are prevented such as improvement of personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, hand washing practices and shoe wearing habits.
